fredk

The stitching near the edge; the leather could have been skived very thin. folded back on itself and stitched. Those big round things which go through the stitching might be some sort of upholstery nail, although a ready rivet stem with head, ie one part of a double-headed rivet, can be used. I've done that on some of my game boards

Interesting technique. Nicely carried out Carry on

It should be fine. Acetone is used as a cleaner and degreaser. If I have any doubts about the cleanliness of a piece of leather I wipe it over with a generous amount of acetone. Nothing bad has ever happened to the leather. If anything, the leather takes dye better and more evenly

So many ways, so much advice we'll have the poor wee lassie's head spinning like a Highland Reel !

btw; something to watch out for; UK shoe sizes are quite different to US shoe sizes; eg In the UK I buy a size 10 wide but in the US I'm an 11 regular, and size 10 UK is covered by 3 different EU sizes Your father's lasts will probably be all standard UK sizes, no EU or US ones edited to add in this guide https://www.pediwear.co.uk/chart.php

Slightly off topic; I started my personal campaign to get people to stop throwing away old items because they were 'old' and the people didn't bother to find out what they had back about 1977. Back then a friend and I collected old photography items, One day we spotted a brass plate in an antique shop window. the plaque had come off a certain camera. We asked the store owner if he had the camera. 'No. I burnt it. The wood was no good and it was too old' We showed him a recent auction report in a magazine we had just purchased in which a similar camera had been sold. His plaque was off a Louis Daguerre camera of 1829 and was numbered 7. The one in the auction was of 1830, numbered 15 and the camera was described as in very poor condition. It had sold for £12,000. And this man had burnt his. He had burnt money. At that time my sister had bought a very nice modern semi for under £10,000, those houses sell for £250, 000 plus today

Please don't even scrap those. They might be useful as organ donors for other machines. The manufacturers tended to use their own screw threads and getting replacements to service other machines is near impossible. If you were to trawl (not troll,) this forum you'll come across a great many requests such as 'Where can I get a plate/screw/bolt/ . . . for a Singer 29K or a xxx . . . .?' I and my son started with one 1930 Austin 7 Ulster. We now have a large shed full of spare wheels, engines, seats, chassis. We bought spare parts whenever and wherever we could. We have helped a few fellow club members with spare parts. All these old parts are organs for our old cars to keep them on the road. Just like your old 'dead' machines

Have you access to a computer or lap-top with Windows Paint on it? You can resize photos in Paint

ebay or Gumtree, or Le Prevo if they'll take them I'd advise NOT to take them to any auction house. They might be ok with furniture or porcelain but when it comes to specialist machinery they haven't a baldy and will bluff it out and, sad to say, in England there is still a lot of misogyny and they'll try to tell you that you don't know what you're talking about

Always worth salvaging. Shoe makers' and cobblers' machines are scarce enough. Someone somewhere will want it and can make use of it About 6 years ago an old shoemaker/cobbler in a town near me died and his family cleared out his old shop. Machines going back to the 1850s / 1860s were sledgehammered and sent for land-fill. No attempt was made to sell them. afair some of the old machines were very valuable, enough to pay off a mortgage. You never know just what you have there in value

I have a rather large piece of deer antler; The red ruler is 15cm (about 6 inches), the hole in it goes right thru. I used to use it as a bow rest. If you don't get one locally and if this is any good to you I'm willing to mail it to you, foc, by slo-boat. Just to get it used on something

Why not give it a go! as you say you're all set up. You don't have to make shoes. A small shoulder bag, belt things like that. And you've joined this forum. If you have time browse the 'How do I . . . ? ' section. There are plenty of other crafters who will help you develop your skills. We are usually very kind on early efforts. 'How do I do that?' 363 pages. I'm still working through them several years on! I work from both ends, oldest & most recent https://leatherworker.net/forum/forum/36-how-do-i-do-that/ Thats really nice you can buy a basic leather thickness gauge for under a tenner on ebay. Be careful, this very same item sells for very many, mucho ££ by other sellers https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/224912663552?hash=item345dd6e400:g:6OAAAOSwyq5iRLPy&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4AYF0cZT%2BNEzh%2BlnQFi2fT%2F%2FV7Ps5uGL1qBm1PRca%2FP0cHHkuj6UwdZJjiAQSxrNmrlw3GdjfIAbSnmCgWbJ%2FRTAgWlke58M0lVtkc6WBONUOnTWjzrl602lmoH0UrS5YnZsMWJhFMmjW4LOOrotcsyhEnM77rxi%2B6%2BxO1ntIgFWNUxqduwTGgGj0EvadezqjF%2BLQYSXAa5ninU8hqBdR3dk%2BNcGELKnv%2F9PpepyEkD9tYsW82NhMDKcyhNLQheonOLyi%2FDig7o8lANhkFkfQ3u61nF0hpbb03t7%2Bi4ob9Hq|tkp%3ABk9SR8qtm9qUYg Currently my orders from China are taking 10 to 15 days to arrive UK price is about £12. Worth it to me, but to you?

1. on here, . There are quite a few UK leather crafters on here who might buy them. The Ozzies and Cranks, errr, the Yanks can get new snake skins far easier than we can 2. on ebay, as 'antique reptile skins' but not as snake because ebay UK/Europe will ban their sale. I've even seen snake skin listed as fish skin. I've never seen a 4ft long diamond-back 'fish' yet 3. its more than just the shape, its the feel, the scales, the thinness which can tell you if its real snake. But you're probably correct. Snake skin shoes were top-notch and popular in the 1960s - 1970s but dropped out of fashion in the mid-1980s be ware of the latest changes in the laws to do with products from exotic species. More have been recently added. Some we, as leather crafters, might not come across, such as ivory from Walrus or Killer Whales, but hides from other animals have been added PS. oh, just remembered, Le Prevo also sells on old leather crafting machines* so talk to them about those as well - but NOT before letting us see them ! * they have or recently had a stainless steel kitchen sink & fittings for sale !

In more ways than one. You need to determine if they are really snake skin or cow/goat skin impressed and coloured. Its hard to sell on real snake skin in the UK as most snakes come under UK endangered species lists and the authorities just lump them all in together. You can get into real trouble over them - but sell on the sly to other leather crafters and no one is the wiser. I'd suggest, for the other hides, if there are that many, contact Le Prevo in Newcastle. Under the previous owner Stu they used to buy in odd leathers from such sources as yourself. They might still do, or sell them on your behalf

I use a small narrow whetstone and swipe it along the length of the blade. A few strokes on each side alternately. Once made good and sharp it only needs one or two swipes to keep it that way

Perforated leather is a favourite for car seats and steering wheel covers but in your case it was most likely for shoe insoles tbh, you can get really decent prices for small off-cuts, in bundles especially, on ebay But be ware that between ebay & paypal fees you loose about 15 to 20% of your sold price

Using a 'formula' does not sound correct. 42 (!) or so years ago I got 'custom' made motorcycle riding boots made. The company did not have the exact size in every direction that I wanted so they offered to make mea pair to fit. I sent various measurements, an outline of each foot and even a pair of my favourite motorcycling socks. 4 weeks later I got a pair of motorcycling boots which fitted perfectly and which I used for the next 28 years. They were still good when I passed them on to another rider after I gave up riding

My advice is not to accept the stretching. The consumer law in the UK and most of Europe, and maybe the US, is once you agree to a fix or repair you are stuck with finally accepting those goods, even if the fix or repair is unsuccessful. I always insist on a completely new replacement item

The wire one looks like an old fashioned paper bills spike for a desk. The last one looks better. I prefer a large area on the end of the arm for my hats to hang on. You used to get special hat hanging hooks which had a big ball on the end A table tennis ball with a slot cut in it slipped over that arm would do the job. The t-t ball could be spray painted before fitting. It helps stop a crease or dinge forming in the hat material Old style hat hook;

To me, absolutely NO. They are not custom made but production line made. Custom made is to your requirements. Whether it is customizing a car, motorcycle, EDC bag or boots, the item is made and/or altered to the customer's requirements Obviously these boots do fit that description. I'd send them back and get a full refund for both the cost and sending them back and threaten legal action forthwith

Something I find I have always to remind people; what the seller is asking for is different to what they get. How many items has this dealer sold at their prices? And as we have discovered, feedback left is no true indicator I have a friend who uses ebay to price the model kits he wants to sell. Its usually ' someone is selling this one for £70 so I'll price mine at £65.' BUT if you go on ebay, on a list on the left you can find things that have sold, sales completed. In that model kit scenario when we looked, the average price for his kit which had sold was under £20

I have an idea , its not always good for me to have ideas, it hurts my brain. This is sort-of adapted from two of my past businesses; a photographic studio* and a vintage vehicle restoration company** Get a few knives off the chap, and make two or three sheaths, just plain or with stamping. Just basic. Use a stop-watch to time your actual working time; don't count dye or glue drying time. See how those go. Work out a fair price for yourself. Then tell the chap how much the sheaths are costing him. Allow him to take them home and consider them and the price. Give him 2 (no less) to 4 weeks (about maximum) to either return the sheaths or pay for them. I'll bet you a jammie donut that on the 4 weeks he'll pay up. Then tell him you'll make three or four sheaths per month, or whatever you're comfortable with, and he can pay for those as you go on. Make sure he gives you a deposit which covers at least the material, then if he pulls out of the deal you are only out time * in my photo studio business I did family and children portraits. I used to get sales of large expensive framed photos by getting one done first. A gilt framed 20 x 16 looked big in the studio. The person, usually one of the parents, would refuse to buy it. I 'loaned' it to them for 4 weeks or so. I told them I'd get it back off them after that for use in my window or reception room display. 99% of times they ended up buying the photo. They had hung it somewhere prominent, had got used to it and when they took it down to return to me they noticed the big empty space on the wall. I would reduce the price by 10% for them as it had been hanging, it was 'used'. The 10% reduction was already factored into the main price but no one can refuse a bargain. Chink-chink, money in the coffers. Plus; other family members who had visited and saw the 20 x 16 often ordered framed 10 x 8s. Chink-chink, more money in the coffers So if you let the chap have some nicely done sheaths he'll get used to having them and will be reluctant to give them back. Even if he does, you've had practice and can use them as examples of work done In a side business which I ran was to re-build vintage cars and small vans. This started out with me hiring in a couple of men to rebuild and maintain my own collection of cars and vans. Soon other vehicle owners were coming to me to do their car or van. With these rebuilds we are looking at, minimum of £3000 to over £100, 000. Very few people were, or can fork out even £3000 for work on their classic car, so I had a simple contract. Basically you pay us what you can afford when you can and we will do work to that value. Most vehicle owners paid us about £200 a month and they got £200 worth of time & parts on their vehicle. This method was painless to the vehicle owner, kept my cash flow, er. . . flowing and gave my men a variety of different vehicles to work on. On average, not including my own, they had 6 different vehicles to work on. So, by offering this chap say 4 sheaths a month, that's one a week, not too hard to do. Your work will improve on each one. The chap will have paid a deposit, say $50, your price is $35 per (is that about right people?) at the end of 4 weeks or 1 month he owes you $90. He can 'buy' the next 4 when he can afford to, same thing, deposit and final payment when done. No big contract betwixt youse, just an understanding

Thats a cute idea for Pinocchio's nose or, Clint Eastwood's 'man with no name' character's ceegarrs

Because the sheeple have been softened & brainwashed into being obedient slaves. As long as they get their cappuccino in Starbucks every lunch time they don't care that they don't have the rights and freedoms the likes of you enjoy. Only a few brave people try to rebel but they are arrested and sent to prison for trying. Ever heard of George Orwell, a writer? In 1948 he wrote a book called '1984'. He predicted what the UK is now like. Including 'thought police'. Just last weekend a man was arrested for wearing a Tee with 97 and the words 'not enough' on it. The police decided this was offensive. They put their own interpretation on what it means. The man has said nothing. yup Remember, I'm half US & half British. I still use a US passport. I see it from both sides. The US part of me wants to rebel, get up and shout at people to stop being sheeple. . . .but, I'm a coward Protect your rights & freedoms ! Don't let them be slowly and secretly eroded away btw; a bit of my family history; my paternal grandfather was one of the thousands* of ex-WW1 soldiers who marched on Washington Caitol in the early 1920s when they tried to stop the WW1 Vets pensions and invalidly payments. They had to march on Washington twice as far as I remember and they took over that big park, the one with the big fish-pond in it, near Abe's Memorial, and camped there. Gramps said the Gov sent the police and Guard out to get rid of the Vets, but most joined the protesting Vets as they were mostly Vets themselves! And Gramps marched on Washington a few other times and to Illinois Gov in protest about the liquor prohibition * one of thousands but thousands of rivets holds a ship together (an old saying, sometimes rivets or nails)